NW DDR: Director calls on elite to stop using centre for political gains

By Martial Gnoukapasi

NW DDR director Kum Henry speaking today at press conference

The Director of the North West Centre for Disarmament, Demobilization and Re-integration, Kum Henry Ichu has called on elite and politicians of the North West to stop using the centre for political gains.

He made the remark Tuesday April 12th during a press conference in Bamenda, in which he outlined his achievements, 7months after taking over as director of the centre.

Mr Kum was very cardinal and categorical in his words as he appealed via the media to the elite;

"I feel abit scandalized each time I watch on TV and listen to the radio, and hear some elite and politicians of this region talking about peace, peace, peace, quoting the DDR as one of the tools used by the head of state to achieve this peace, when most of them don't even know where the centre is nor has ever visited the centre since it's creation 3years ago"

Media men and women in attendance

To him these are politicians playing for the gallery, for in talking peace one needs to go closer to the source and actively take part.

"Unfortunately I have to talk the way I'm talking because most of our elite leave Yaounde, enter the region in armored cars, get to Ayaba talk peace, talk peace, talk peace, get onboard their armored cars and leave back for Yaounde without even visiting the centre to talk to the ex combatants, get first hand information about the peace building mechanism put in place by the head of state" he adds

He is of the opinion that those who called themselves elite and understands that the DDR forms part of the peace building process should from time to time visit the structure to get first hand information from the ex-fighters, encourage them to help talk to others still in the bushes to drop their arms as well.

"The peace in Cameroon and this region will not come from the literature they're preaching in Yaounde" Kum Henry adds.

Mr Kum Henry who took office as director of the North West DDR September 10th 2021, used the presser to outline his achievements since he took over 7 months ago.

DDR lifts trophy after beating NW adminstration in 'gala match for peace' in February

He outlined the following;

- 68 more fighters have surrendered their weapons,

- No strike action to complain of poor treatment at the centre, owing to the comfortable nature of the ex combatants now who no longer come to beg on the streets as was the car before,

- Economic and socio - cultural programs for those at the centre reinforced, which resulted to the trophies won by the ex-fighters during their football encounters with the Bamenda II council, North West administration etc

- The ex fighters he said have created a vigilante which to help security take care of their safety,

- 4 deliveries carried out at the centre,

- Education on basic hygiene and sexual reproductive health enforced,

- A functional infirmary

- A grade one teacher on the center's payroll that offers lessons to the current 17 pupils belonging to ex fighters etc.

-290 fighters he said were currently at the centre.

- 32 had been intergrated to government structures though not yet independent.

Questioned on what was being done to ensure that those in the suburbs heed to the call of dropping down their weapons, he said a project involving community radios, local administrative and religious authorities was on course to continue the campaign.

Kum Henry

He enjoined the media and other stakeholders involved in the peace building process to ensure that graduates who will be reinserted into the various communities this year are accepted by their host communities.

The director also said they ex combatants will hopefully be moving to their new site this year, once the expected equipments of the workshops therein are in place.